Sierra Club To Sue BNSF For Coal Spillage From Railcars

Law360, New York (April 2, 2013, 6:28 PM EDT) -- The Sierra Club and several other environmental groups said Tuesday they plan to sue BNSF Railway Co. for polluting waterways with coal, claiming the company is violating the Clean Water Act by allowing ash to escape from railcars into rivers and streams in Washington state.

Filing a 60-day notice of intent to sue, the groups cited testimony from BNSF officials in front of the Surface Transportation Board estimating an average loss of 30 tons of coal for each of the daily trips the company makes through...